News Briefs

11/4/2012, Cheshvan 19, 5773

‘Massive Hurricanes Too Frequent,’ Economist Warns

Hurricane Sandy appears to have earned a place on the list of the top five most damaging storms to hit the United States with $22-$30 billion in damages, strategist and economist Ron Eichler said Sunday. The most harmful was Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which caused $108 billion in damages, he said.

Large hurricanes causing flooding are hitting the U.S. far more frequently in recent years than city planners were prepared for, he warned. “Superstorms” were expected to hit roughly once every 100 years; now at least three have hit in seven years.

“The frequency of natural disasters is significantly higher than the assumptions based on which vital infrastructure and buildings were built,” he explained.